Pleating strip



Jan. 29, 1957 NICE) HESS 2,779,405

PLEATI NG STRIP Filed Sept. 14, 1953 FIG.| 234 254 27*; 294 3A as P F|G.6 FIG.7

INVENTOR. ALEXANDER MCD. HESS ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to headings or strips for drapes, curtains or the like, and more particularly for headings used to facilitate the formation of pleats.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a structure whereby the pleating of a drape, curtain or the like is readily and simply accomplished by a housewife or others, preferably without the necessity for using special skill.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of the type specified especially adapted to properly support pleats made in drapes, curtains or the like.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings and the several views thereon, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a heading or pleating strip embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat perspective view illustrating the beginning of the formation of pleats in the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device as shown by Fig. 2 illustrating the method of hanging on a curtain rod or the like;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the pleats as shown by Fig. 2 when fully compressed;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a hanger employed in my invention;

Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of hanger used in my invention; and

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of eyelet.

Figure 1 illustrates a fragment or a section of a strip of textile material or the like designated 1. This material may be of any appropriate or suitable cloth, but I prefer a woven textile material approximately and substantially like the ordinary and well known buckram which had a certain amount of stiffness greater than the ordinary drape, curtain or the like.

I may use a plain uncovered buckram, but it might be well to use a buckram covered on What I call the front face 3 with a finishing material of desirable appearance, such as a sateen 5. The covering 5 may be attached to the buckram 1 in any suitable or appropriate manner as by stitching or by applying any of the well known thermosensitive adhesives either to the front face of the buckram or the back face of the sateen 5 and then suitably attaching one to the other by means of a hot pressing iron.

The textile material 1 with or without the sateen 5 may be attached to a drape, curtain or the like in any suitable, appropriate or well known manner as by coating the back face of one with a themno-sensitive adhesive and 2,779,405 Patented Jan. 29, 1957 applying a pressing iron on the front face 3 while the heading is in the desired place on the drape, curtain or the like. The textile material 1 may also be attached as by sewing as at 7 and 9.

Intermediate the top and the bottom 13 of the front face 3 of the heading, I position snap fasteners in pairs, 15, 17, 19 and 21. The pair 1517 is positioned above the pair 1921. The female part, as 15, of one pair is positioned at a distance longitudinally of the member 1 from the male member, as 17, of a pair.

The portion between the female member 15 and a male member 17 is divided intospaces, dependent upon the number of pleats which are to be formed in the material. As the number of pleats is generally three at one particular location, I have divided the space between 15 and 17 into six spaces. The two end spaces adjacent the parts of the snap fasteners are slightly longer than the other spaces, that is, the space from outer fold line 23 to fastener part 15 is greater than the space between the vlines 23 and 25 and 25 and 27, and 27 and 29, and 29 and 31. The space between outer fold line 31 and fastener part 17 is the same as the space between line 23 and fastener part 15. By this arrangement, after the material is formed into folds or pleats, there is space beyond the inner fold lines 25, 29 of the pleats as illustrated by Fig. 4 in which the parts of the snap fastener may be interengaged.

In line with each pair of snap fasteners is a pair of separated eyelets located on the inner fold lines 25, 29. The upper pair is 33 and 35 and the lower pair is 37 and 39. Each of these eyelets has a loop projecting beyond the face 3 of the material 1 and the material 5. Each eyelet is provided with means for securing it into the fabric of the heading. My preferred construction takes the form of legs, as 41 and 45, on each eyelet and preferably integral therewith. These legs aline one with the other, but extend in opposite directions. They are positioned on the back of the material on the front of which the eyelet, as 33, appears, that is, either back of 5 or back of 1. Normally, the loops 33A of the eyelets may lie flat against the front of the material, with the legs 41, 45 lying along the inner fold lines 25, 29. In the flat position of the loops 33A the strip 1 may conveniently be adhered to the drapery by the use of a hot iron and heat sensitive material as already noted. The loops 33A may be brought out by turning on the legs to a position at right angles to that material, as shown in Fig. 4.

The eyelets of each pair are arranged in line with the snap fasteners of the corresponding line and are separated by two spaces as shown by Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 a member 47 is shown attached to the male members 17 and 21 of the snap fasteners. This member is formed preferably of wire and has two loops as 49 and 50 therein which are adapted to resiliently receive the stud members 51 and 53 of the snap fasteners 21 and 17. This support member 47 is also formed with supporting hooks 55 and 57.

The strip 1 may be attached to any desired drape, curtain or the like, it being understood that at desired intervals along the strip the arrangement of snap fasteners and eyelets as shown in Fig. 1 is repeated.

After the material is applied to the drape, curtain or the like, the pleating is formed. This is performed by merely pushing the snap fastener part at one end toward the snap fastener part at the other end, and by passing the stud portion 50 and the stud portion 51 through the eyelets 33 and 35, and 3'7 and 39 as the parts of the snap fasteners are brought together. In order to do this the 'material between the snap fasteners falls into folds or pleats 59 and 61, and 63 as best shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 also shows that the eyelets, as 35 and 39 hold the pleat 61 in place and the inner side of the pleat 59, and the 3 eyelets 33' and 37 hold the pleat 61 in place, and the inner side of pleat 63. The legs 41, 45 thu lie along and help to define the inner fold lines 25, 29 of the formed pleats. This construction has two advantages. The formation of the pleats is facilitated as they are formed by holding the loops 33A in one hand and placing the fingers of the other hand along the lines 23, 27, 31 and gently drawing the material away to form the pleats 63, 61, 59. Also, the longer the drapery hangs with the pleats thus formed the more sharply defined will the inner fold lines 25, 29 become due tothe continued line pressure of the legs 41, 45.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the support 47 projects at substantially a right angle to the material 1 after it has been folded. In this position the upper hook 55 may be engaged over the top of a curtain. rod or the like 65 and the lower book 57 may be engaged in a portion 67 of the curtain rod or the like 65', so that the pleats 59, 61 and 63 are held upright, not only at the lower portion by hook 57, but also somewhat adjacent the upper portion by hookSS.

The pleated drape may further be suspended by engagement of hook '7 over the body of rod 65, resulting in a higher position than that illustrated in Figure 3. To obtain a lower position than that of Figure. 3, the hook 555 may be engaged in the loop portion 67 which may occur on an ordinary curtain rod or 011 a traverse rod. The member 47 thus provides for three different positions of the drape relative to the rod 65.

In some cases it will not be necessary to hold the very upper portion of the pleated material so that a support 69, as shown in Fig. 5, may be employed in which there is only one lower hook 71.

In some cases only the upper portion of the drape needs to be supported and in that case, the support 73 may be used which has a hook 75 only at thev upper portion thereof.

Although in Fig. l, I have shown the eyelets, as 35 and 39 as separate pieces, I may combine them into one as shown in Fig. 7. The device shown in Fig. 7 and designated '77 is preferably made of wire and has a single loop 78 comprising an open portion as 79 which may receive the stud 5d of snap fastener 17 and an open portion 81 which may receive the stud 51 of fastener 21. The legs for retaining the double eyelet 77 in place and defining the line of a plate are shown at $3 and 85. The legs 83, 85 are thus held in line with each other by reason errands.

said legs further lying along and assisting in defining said inner fold line when said male fastener is passed through said loop and into. said female fastener.

2. The combination with a pleating strip having male and. female snap fasteners, of a suspending member having a loop portion engaging over said male snap fastener, said suspending member further having two hooks spaced apart one above the other, either of said hooks being engageable with a curtain rod toprovide alternative heights of suspension of a drapery relative to said curtain rod.

3. The combination with a pleatingstrip having two sets of male and female snap fasteners spaced apart at different heights, of a suspending member having two loop portions engaging over said male snap fasteners, said suspending member further having two hooks spaced apart one above the other, either of said hooks being engageable with a curtain rod to provide. alternative heights of suspension of a drapery relative to said curtain rod.

4. A pleating strip comprising, in combination, a strip of relatively stiff material, a male and a female snap fastener located on said strip inspaced relation one to the other and at least one eyelet located on a line between said fasteners, said eyelet further being located on an inner fold line of a pleat, said eyelet being constituted of wire and having a loop located on the inner face of said strip and a pair Oflfigs; integral with. said loop and extending in opposite directions along a single straight of being integral with loop 78,. whereas the legs 41,, 45 I of two eyelets such. as 33, 37 on a single fold. line. are not so firmly held in line as the eye-lets 37, 39 are separate pieces.

Although i have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of invention and explained the construction and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A pleating strip comprising, in combination, a strip of relatively stiff material, a male and a female snap fastener located on said strip in spaced relation one to the other and at least one eyelet located. on a. linev between said fasteners, said eyelet further being located on an inner fold line of a pleat, said eyelet being con stituted of wire and having, a. loop. located on the inner face of said strip and a pair of legs integral with said loop and extending away therefrom in opposite directions along a single straight line on the Outer face of said strip,

line on the outer face of said strip, said legs further lying along and assisting in. defining said inner fold line when said male fastener is passed through said loopv and into said female fastener.

5. In a pleating strip of the type comprising a strip of relatively stifi material provided with groups of two pairs ofmale and. female snap fasteners, the fasteners of one pair being located above the fasteners of the other pair and the strip being gathered on inner and outer fold lines to form a pleat held together by the interengagement of the fasteners of both pairs, the improvement comprising wire eyelet means located on the front face of said strip and engaged over said male fasteners, said eyelet means further. extending through. said strip and having legs extending. away from each other in a straight line, said legs being located on and assisting in defining said inner fold lines.

6. In a pleating strip of the type comprising a strip of relatively stiff material provided with groups of two pairs. of male and. female snap; fasteners, the; fasteners of' one pair being located above thefasteners of. the other pair and the strip beinggathered on inner and outer fold lines to form a pleat held together by the interengagement of the fasteners of both pairs,.the. improvement comprising wire eyelet means located on the front. face. of said strip, said eyelet means comprising a. single loop portion engaged over both male fasteners, said eyelet means further extending through, said. strip and. comprising legs integral with said loop and extending away from each other along. a single straight line, said legs being located on and assisting in defining. said inner fold lines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS:

422,056 Martin Feb. 25, 1890 1,341,684 Sweney June 1, 1920 1,604,686 Falkenberg Oct. 26, 1926 1,958,436 Hess. May 15, 1934 2,573,441 Hess Oct. 30, 1951 2,629,436 Hess Feb. 14, 1953 

